Page 4 of King of Deception

As my hurried steps worked against time and my impossibly high heels, I searched for the nearest exit; it was one leading out to a terrace. Avoiding eye contact with anyone I encountered, I sped out and closed my eyes, throwing back my head as the fresh air finally filled my nostrils.

If only Jude would let me go, then my career wouldn’t be the collateral damage of his pathetic little power play.

two

Altercation

Abel

At my uncle’s beach house in Montauk, my cousin was getting married. Of course, the entire family had to be in attendance, including my little sister and me. To poke fun at the ‘and guest’ on the invitation, she came to my home office with a pep in her step the night before.

“Say, are you bringing anyone to Lily’s wedding tomorrow?”

“I’m… not.” I frowned at the financial report on the screen in front of me, pushing my reading glasses over the bridge of my nose.

“That’s too bad,” she slowly approached, distracting me.

“Why aren’t you at her bachelorette party?” I monotonously asked.

“Abel, it’s nine o’clock. It hasn’t started yet. Aren’t you going to Ewan’s?”

“For me to be able to go to Montauk tomorrow, I have to finish a lot of work tonight.” I didn’t raise my eyes from the screen.

“Wanna be my plus one?” she childishly offered.

In disbelief, I took off the glasses and straightened up in my seat with parted lips. “Are you serious? Whatever happened to Incredible Isaac?”

“We’re going through an ‘off’ phase right now.” Leaning against the wall, she busied her fingers with the frame hanging a few inches away.

“You both need to grow up. If you’ve found reasons to break up three times before, it’s clearly not working.”

“First of all,” she dipped her head like she always did when she’s about to make a statement. “We’re both twenty-two… Technically, we’re not allowed to act grown up just yet.” She giggled.

“And second?”

“Just because you’re a few years older than me—”

“Eight,” I humorously added.

“Doesn’t mean that you qualify as a love guru. Where’s your successfully working relationship, Abel Drakos, King of Heartbreakers?”

Chuckling, I rolled my eyes, tossing the glasses over the pile of printed reports on my desk. “Nobody calls me that anymore.”

“Can you blame anyone? I mean, when was the last time you had an impressive escapade?”

“Adele, I beg of you. I have work to do.”

“Then it’s done!” she theatrically raised her shoulders, shaking her head. “You’re my plus one.” Quickly rushing toward me, she gave me a peck on the cheek before skipping back out. “Don’t work too hard!”

Shaking my head, I put my glasses back on and resumed my work. It didn’t matter that we were going to the wedding together. Knowing Adele, she was bound to attract the gaze of some young heir and spend the rest of the evening taunting him. I loved my sister, but her approach to relationships was something I could never agree with.

“What’s wrong with having fun? She’s still young,” cousin Lily once defended.

“How is she ever going to find love if she looks at every man as a ticket to a short-lived rollercoaster ride?”

“Love never happens when we’re looking for it. Only when you least expect it.”

I knew Lily was drawing from her own experience when she said that—and that she was mostly right. What made her statement even more profound was when I watched a couple fight while Uncle Danny was giving his speech.

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